Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Domchryblus’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Domchryblus’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant form; uniform and freely flowering habit; large decorative type inflorescences with light and darker purple-colored ray florets; response time about 49 days under controlled photoperiodic treatments; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOMCHRYBLUS’.

BACKGROUND OF TEE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium, commercially grown as a potted Chrysanthemum plant, referred to as code number 65874 in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/708,405 and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Domchryblus’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made in January, 2015 by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 72042, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 807827, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in September, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in December, 2015. Asexual reproduction by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Domchryblus’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Domchryblus’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant form.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large decorative type inflorescences with light and darker         purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Response time about 49 days under controlled photoperiodic         treatments.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not as upright as plants         of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in inflorescence form as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have decorative type inflorescences whereas plants of the male parent selection have semi-decorative type inflorescences.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Chrystal Pink’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Chrystal Pink’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have decorative type         inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Chrystal Pink’ have         semi-decorative type inflorescences.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Chrystal Pink’ differ in         ray floret color as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have         inflorescences with light and darker purple-colored ray florets         whereas plants of ‘Chrystal Pink’ have inflorescences with light         purple-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Domchryblus’ grown in a 14-cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 14-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 21° C. and light levels averaged 6,000 lux. Plants were grown under long day/short night conditions for about two weeks and then grown under short day/long night conditions to induce inflorescence initiation and development. Plants were ten weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Domchryblus’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 72042,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 807827,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous semi-decorative type             potted Chrysanthemum; stems upright to outwardly spreading             giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant; numerous             lateral branches and relatively short internodes, dense and             full plant form; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 27 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about five primary             lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex             (pinching).         -   Lateral branches (peduncles as plants are grown as             disbuds).—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect:             About 60° from vertical and then bending upwardly. Texture:             Fine pubescence. Color: Close to 138B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 7 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately-lobed; roughly ovate with three to five             lobes.         -   Apex.—Broadly acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Slightly dentate and palmately lobed; sinuses             between lateral lobes mostly divergent.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Fine pubescence; slightly rough.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Fine pubescence; waxy; veins             prominent.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,             close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B; venation, close to 147C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Fine pubescence; slightly rough.             Texture, lower surface: Fine pubescence; waxy. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Form and flowering habit.—Decorative type inflorescence form             with ligulate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on             terminals above and beyond the foliar plane; disc and ray             florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; freely             flowering habit with about 21 inflorescences developing per             plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Mildly fragrant; pungent, herbaceous.         -   Flowering response.—Plants flower uniformly about 49 days             after starting short day/long night photoperiodic             treatments.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Good postproduction longevity;             inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about             two to three weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—Large, about 11 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 5 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—Disc florets development has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to N145A.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             260 arranged in about twelve whorls. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 80° from vertical; slightly concave.             Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Ligulate.             Apex: Emarginate. Base: Fused into a short tube. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             double-keeled. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             N78A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 76D blushed with             close to 76C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 76D;             with development, distally, close to 76C. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 76D blushed with close to 76C; color             does not change with development.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 28             arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             waxy. Texture, lower surface: Fine pubescence; waxy. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present only on ray florets. Pistil length: About 6 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 9B. Style             length: About 0.4 mm. Style color: Close to 1D. Ovary color:             Close to 145C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not             been observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Chrysanthemum to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures     from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Domchryblus’ as illustrated and described. 